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Congressman Bradley Byrne sees military cuts as danger to national security

Bradley Byrne

Congressman Bradley Byrne speaks to the need of adequate military funding to protect our national security at the Mobile Chamber of Commerce's Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Aircraft Pavilion. (Angela Levins/alevins@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Alabama Congressman Bradley Byrne used the Mobile County Chamber of Commerce's annual Military Appreciation Luncheon as a backdrop to address the need to fund the nation's military more efficiently and quit making cuts.

The luncheon was held at the USS Alabama Battleship's Memorial Park Aircraft Pavilion Tuesday afternoon. The goal of the luncheon is to honor U.S. active duty military men and women, recognize high school and college ROTC students, and connect businesses with the military community.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Yatron Weatherly singing the national anthem.

Mobile County Public Schools Superintendent Martha Peek led the invocation before the crowd lined up for a buffet-style lunch in the packed Aircraft Pavilion.

Keynote speaker Byrne warned in his speech that if U.S. citizens are not careful history could repeat itself. Byrne said he feels that if funding cuts to the country's military continue, results comparable to the 1930s -- when the military experienced severe cuts after World War I -- could be seen.

"Putin's Russia is at the same state as Germany was in the 1930s," Byrne said during his speech.

He went on to say, "the late 1930s Pacific Theater bears resemblance to today's geopolitical situation in Eastern Asia."

During his speech and after the luncheon, Byrne stressed that the funding is needed to protect citizens' security.

"It's a dangerous world we live in," Byrne said. "It doesn't become less dangerous because we pull back, in fact it becomes more dangerous. We've got to go back and project strength for our own security and the security of the world."

Byrne feels the military needs at least $350 billion spread out over the next 10years to get it up to par, he said.

"There's all sorts of things the government's doing that it shouldn't be doing at all. And we should be taking those out so we can make room for the budget we need in order to make sure we have an appropriate national defense," Byrne said.